A Word From AGCVA Chair, Anthony Smith

The Holiday Season is here! Our world is once again transformed into a beautiful display of twinkling lights, decorated trees, and a Santa around every corner. The sounds of jingle bells, laughter, and classic holiday tunes fill the air. It’s a time of camaraderie and sharing that can fill hearts with joy, bring laughter to children, and a smile to our face. One of my favorite things to do is enjoy a holiday movie with my family before bed. "Home Alone," "The Santa Clause," "White Christmas," "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" are just a sampling of the titles that will be played in our home, but one of our favorites is "It’s a Wonderful Life." The timeless story of George Bailey, preparing to end it all, is visited by a guardian angel to show him what his town would have looked like had he never existed. It’s a frightful scenario through which George sees that, without him, the lives of his family, friends, and whole community are full of despair and sorrow. It turns out that the actions of George throughout his life were central to the happiness, opportunity, and success for the whole network of those that were part of his life. This is valuable insight and it spurred me to think, what would life be like without the AGC? How would our industry be different? What affects would it have on our individual companies?

Let’s take a look…

It’s March of 2020, Covid is spreading, and the government has issued mandatory shutdowns across the nation. The federal and state governments are issuing mandates to stop operations at all businesses deemed non-essential; we are holding our breath as to whether we will be forced to stop work on our projects and must stay home wondering what comes next. The world is shutting down and everyone in our industry is faced with the question of our future. Then we hear the announcement that all commercial and residential construction will be halted, only projects deemed essential to the ongoing maintenance of essential businesses are allowed to continue. These projects must be run by the in-house maintenance departments to avoid unnecessary exposure of the workforce – our industry has been shut down. How long will this last? How are we going to earn a living? What about our bills? Can our companies survive this long without any earned income?  

This could have been our reality without the AGC. The AGC of America led the charge to convince the federal government that all of construction was essential, quickly followed by AGCVA at the state level. These acts alone likely saved multiple members from having to permanently shut their doors. This was followed up with unprecedented support of our members on how to work safely through the pandemic, providing seemingly endless information on how to deal with the everchanging conditions of jobsite and office management as it related to Covid. As if this were not enough, AGC continued their efforts. When federal vaccine mandates were close to being enforced for contractors, AGC fought back by preparing a lawsuit that was successful in striking them down. At the same time issuing a series of public service announcements sharing with the industry that the vaccines were an effective way to defend yourself against the serious effects of Covid. They encouraged our workforce to be voluntarily vaccinated.

It’s a little over 30 years ago, a successful builder has found a niche doing work for agricultural clients, but shifting economic pressures on the industry are cutting into their opportunities. In order to survive and grow they must find a new market shift into commercial construction. They are a quality conscious builder with great customer service and are having success in growing their business; however, the heavily regulated commercial industry is something they are within agricultural industry. They can’t find the required training or guidance to help them navigate the seemingly endless regulations and safety standards. VOSHA citations start to occur through surprise inspections, their reputation is taking a hit and the crippling fines start to affect their bottom line. The management team sees a crisis and knows they are going to have to make some difficult decisions about the company’s future.

This could have been the story of a longtime member company in the Valley. In a recent interview on the Foundations podcast, a construction specific podcast hosted by AGCVA member Ed Stelter of Faulconer Construction, Carl Harmon told the story of Harman Construction. During this interview, he talks about how the training AGCVA provided was critical in Harman making the transition described above a success. AGCVA recognizes the value and necessity of training for members. That is why they offer professional development training for emerging leaders, safety training to keep your crews certified, and specialized offerings like Bluebeam, estimating, blueprint reading, and more. Over the years, AGCVA has adapted to offer a plethora of in-person, virtual, and hybrid classes to meet the growing needs of members. AGCVA is also the pioneer of Virginia’s first strategic safety partnership with the state in launching the Virginia BEST program, which is designed to help companies elevate their safety programs through guided workshops, safety mentors, and achieving various levels of benefits with Virginia OSHA. 

It’s the year 2010 and a family-owned commercial subcontractor is getting by but working hard to deal with the repercussions of a generationally significant recession that has put many in the construction industry out of business. This company was started in 1976 and considering the industry, has a respectable history; however, they have never been able to break out of their smalltime, rural contractor image. The management team tries to make connections, but builders that haven’t worked with them don’t know who they are and don’t have faith they can adequately manage their larger projects. This subcontractor watches as projects they never thought would develop in their small rural market are built by contractors they’ve never had the chance to meet, using competitors they’ve never heard of being brought into their own backyard. Without an effective way to connect with these new potential clients, this company has to face a hard decision on their ability to maintain and grow.

This could have been my story had AGC not been around for our company to join in 2011. Our membership has been an absolute game changer, and I can personally attest that the improvements, opportunities, and growth due to the connections our company has made through membership cannot be truly quantified. What originally were business relationships have now turned into true friendships. Whether it be football tailgates, fishing trips, dinners, or just a quick drink at a local pub, Mary and I have a network of AGCVA friends across the state that we truly adore. Look at your own career and company;) what benefits and opportunities has AGCVA brought to you? How many good times, laughs, and true friends has AGCVA brought into your life?

I sometimes find myself wiping the corners of my eyes at the end of "Its a Wonderful Life." George Bailey, with renewed joy of his life and an understanding of his impact on the world around him, is surrounded by family and friends coming to his aid when he needed them the most. His life of selfless sacrifice that elevated all those around him has paid him back in riches that can't be purchased or simply recorded on a ledger. I believe the same is true of our wonderful association. Membership in the AGCVA has value; your life without it would likely be very different.

I sincerely hope each of you spend the next few days surrounded by those you adore the most. Have a safe and wonderfully happy holidays!